The army is interested in fielding 18 units initially, said Anthony Sebasto, an engineer who helped develop SWORDS at Picatinny Arsenal. Picatinny officials told JDW that a final decision has not been made as to when the systems might be fielded, but there have been reports in the press that it could be March or April.

Although the US Department of Defense has experimented with armed robots for some years, this is believed to be the first time it has moved to field one. "This is just the beginning of what will be a growing initiative," Sebasto said.